17 years - that's how long Belizean Duane Seawell will spend in an American federal prison for drug trafficking. He was sentenced on Friday by a U.S. district judge in Clolbus, Ohio. Sewell told the judge, "I'm very sorry for my involvement; I'm very remorseful for what I did."
It is alleged that Duane Seawell along with his brothers Mark and Gary were at the center of multimillion dollar ring that ferried cocaine from Belize through Mexico to cities across the United States, including Columbus, Dallas and New Orleans. The Seawells hired couriers, reportedly including minors, to smuggle the drugs into the U.S. in their shoes. To date, 70 people have been prosecuted and convicted in the case in courts in the United States and Mexico. As we've reported - the 34 year old Seawell pleaded guilty in July to two counts of importing drugs into the United States and a count of money laundering.
U.S. Marshalls seized Seawell on a layover in Miami when he was being deported from Jamaica to Belize. U.S. news sources say that after serving his term he will be deported again, back to Belize. His brother Mark is currently at the Hattieville Prison awaiting extradition procedures. Gary is still at large.
